


When All Is Said And Done

by Faded_and_Fleeting



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Day 6: Pre-Kerberos//Post Voltron, M/M, Post-Season 6 (Voltron), Post-Voltron, Sheith Month 2018, Some Season 6 Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-10
Updated: 2018-07-10
Packaged: 2019-06-08 00:59:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15231900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Faded_and_Fleeting/pseuds/Faded_and_Fleeting
Summary: Keith and Shiro go exploring a few years after the war. Shiro needs some assurance.





	When All Is Said And Done

**Author's Note:**

> This is the sixth day of @sheithmonth! The beginning scene is based on a fanart by the lovely TheProjectAva on Tumblr. Be sure to check out her blog!

For Shiro, looking up at the stars is no longer the pleasure it was. There’s a fleeting moment where he feels whole again, but it evaporates faster than rain on desert sand. He doesn’t feel the same fascination for them as his ten-year-old self once did. His heart doesn't overflow with amazement, nor does his chest constrict with curiosity. He’s not spending hours lying awake in his bed, sharing his innermost secrets with them. He’s spending hours awake, cowering in fear and wishing that they’d go away.

There’s movement beside him. Shiro lets his weary gaze fall upon the figure fitted against his side and smiles faintly as he remembers where he is.

They’re in Keith’s desert shack back on Earth. They’re home. They’re safe. Keith lying against him, breathing,  _alive_ , is proof of that.

Shiro dips his left hand between their bodies and find’s Keith’s, interlacing their fingers gently. Keith’s body is solid against him, a grounding presence amidst a storm of memories that flash behind his eyes each and every time he closes them. Memories that he so desperately wishes to forget.

_“Shiro, I know you’re in there!”_

Shiro screws his eyes shut, turns, and buries his face into Keith’s hair. He doesn’t want to see this. Not now.

_“You made a promise once. You told me you’d never give up on me!”_

Shiro tightens his grip on Keith’s hand. He doesn’t want to see this. He doesn’t want to remember all of the pain he’d caused Keith back at the clone facility. It’s years behind them, but the images are still clear as day, and they torment him each and every single night, without fail.

_“And I should have abandoned you, just like your parents did! They saw that you were broken. **Worthless**. I should have seen it too.”_

The image of Keith that rises to the surface rips through him like shards of glass. Keith stands just across from him, shoulders squared. The expression on his face is unreadable, but the light in Keith’s eyes is determined. It’s a spark of hope, a lone candle flickering in the dark. It’s the kind of rigid determination that instills fear in the hearts of Keith’s enemies but fills Shiro with a profound sadness and an inexplicable feeling of guilt that closes around his throat and makes him forget how to breathe.

_“I’m not leaving here without you.”_

He chokes on a sob that racks his entire body. He brings their joint hands up to his chest, his grip impossibly tight. Shiro is afraid. He’s afraid that Keith will disappear if he doesn’t keep him close. At the same time, he's afraid of going back and repeating past mistakes, of hurting Keith beyond redemption. He almost lost Keith once. He can’t bear to do it again.

Keith winces. A vice-like grip on his hand and the trembling of a body stir him from his slumber. He groans quietly as he blinks against the darkness, barely making out the shape of his and Shiro’s joined hands. Shiro’s face is pressed into his hair, but even like this, Keith knows.

“Shiro,” he murmurs softly, and Shiro goes rigid. Keith uses his free arm to prop himself up and gazes down at Shiro. “Hey, what’s the matter?”

Shiro cries harder. He’s gurgling and gasping for breath and all Keith does is push Shiro’s hair out of his face and press a delicate kiss to his forehead. “Takashi,” he pleads, “talk to me, please.”

Shiro lifts his weary gaze and meets Keith’s eyes. “I, _Keith_ ,” he rasps, and Keith runs a gentle thumb over his cheek. Shiro automatically leans into it. “God, they’re— They came back. They—”

“Shh, Takashi,” Keith soothes, bringing their joined hands to his lips. He kisses the back of Shiro’s hand tenderly. “It’s okay. You’re okay.”

“Keith,” Shiro shudders. “I thought I’d—”

“No, Takashi.  _No_ ,” Keith shakes his head, pressing a finger to Shiro’s lips. “It’s okay. I’m okay. I’m right here.”

Keith leans down, pressing his forehead to Shiro’s, and closes his eyes, breathing deeply. He gives Shiro’s hand a gentle squeeze as he silently urges Shiro to settle down and breathe with him—in, and out. In, and out. Labored breaths eventually settle into a steady rhythm. Shiro sags, the tension dropping from his shoulders. His rigid grip on Keith’s hand loosens but stays firm.

“I’m right here,” Keith assures him again and sits up slowly. Shiro follows instantly, not wanting to be too far for too long, and presses his forehead to Keith’s shoulder.

“Keith,” Shiro whispers. It’s a broken thing and Keith can hardly hear him, and it doesn’t go further than just that.

Keith slides his free hand up and cradles the back of Shiro’s head gently, softly shushing him. He’s hyper-aware of the clawed footsteps that make their way over to their bedside. The bed dips as a large wolf hops up onto the mattress and briefly nuzzles Shiro’s face before resting its head in Shiro’s lap.

“Looks like Kosmo’s worried about you as well,” Keith chuckles.

“Yeah,” Shiro agrees, a hint of a smile pulling at his lips, “I guess he is.”

Keith gently runs his fingers through Shiro’s hair and hums. Shiro closes his eyes and lets the sound of Keith’s voice wash over him. They remain like that for a while. Keith isn’t exactly sure of how much time has passed, but when he finally looks outside, the world is still dark. About a hundred meters away, the silhouette of the Black Lion stands tall and proud, silently watching over the little shack and the small family inside.

Seeing her brings Keith back to all the intense battles they’ve fought with the team. He remembers every flight, every quiet bonding moment. He remembers the few moments of peace that he, Black, and Shiro have shared. In a way, Keith misses being able to touch the stars. He misses the adventure and exploration.

_You desire to fly again._

Keith gasps sharply. It’s been so long since Black has spoken to him. He’s almost forgotten what her voice sounds like.

Shiro looks up at him, brows furrowed in slight worry. “Keith?” he whispers, “is everything okay?”

“I— Yeah,” Keith stammers, tearing his gaze from the window and fixing it to the floor. “It’s just— The Black Lion… She’s talking to me.”

“The Black Lion?” Shiro utters. “It’s been years. What— What’s she saying to you?”

_Come. Bring your family. You can touch the stars once more._

Can he? Can he really?

He glances down at Shiro briefly. It’s been no secret to Keith that Shiro longs to explore hidden worlds and far away galaxies with Black again. They didn’t have time before, but they have time now.

“We can go out and explore again,” Keith whispers.

“What—”

_I’ve seen what it is you desire most. You want to explore the universe. Together. I will guide you._

Shiro chokes, eyes going wide. He wonders if he’s dreaming, or if the voice he heard just now was truly the Black Lion’s.

_Come._

“Shiro, she’s—”

“I know,” Shiro gasps. “She’s… She’s calling to us.”

“Should we go?”

Shiro’s heart swells. “Is that a question?”

The smile that graces Keith’s features shines brightly in the night.

—

The last time Keith was inside of Black’s cockpit, he was fighting the end of a war. Now, he’s with Shiro, Krolia, and Kosmo soaring through the sky, through Earth’s upper atmosphere, and out to the edge of the solar system.

Keith lets Shiro pilot, knowing full well how much it means to him, and spends his time gazing at the stars and planets as they glide by. He leans against the back of the pilot’s seat and peers back into the lone bedchamber on the ship. Krolia is situated on one of the small beds with Kosmo lying on her lap. She, too, looks out eagerly upon the fleeting celestial bodies.

Piloting again proves to be difficult for Shiro, having only one arm, but Black helps him through it. He’s thankful. He’s so thankful to Keith for letting him have this, and he’s thankful to Black for allowing him back in. It brings him back to the start, back to when this all began with finding Blue on Earth. Sometimes, he misses it. Sometimes he wishes there was still something to fight for, but then he remembers Keith.

Keith, who has always been his support and his guide. Keith, who has always been his anchor. Keith, who went through countless universes to find him and even cheated death just to bring him back from it. Keith, who loves him unconditionally, who is his everything.

_“I love you.”_

Keith is still here, a beacon in the night, a guide calling him home. Shiro realizes that Keith is someone he still has to fight for, and he is ready to die a thousand times more if it means he gets to keep Keith at his side.

_“I love you.”_

They’re hundreds of thousands of miles away from Earth, passing through a hollowed pool filled with the diamonds of thousands of moons and of millions of tender dreams weaved within the cosmic ether that hung simply in the frame of “galaxy,” and while it’s beautiful, there is nothing that compares to the eternal beauty of the stars that he sees reflected in Keith’s eyes.

_“I love you.”_

Shiro sets them on a course to the nearest planet.

—

They land by nightfall and set up camp in a small forest clearing. Krolia ventures off with Kosmo to gather some supplies and wood for a fire. Keith approaches Shiro and quietly takes his hand.

“Let’s go somewhere a bit more private.” It’s a quiet suggestion and one that Shiro can’t pass up on. He loves the shack and he loves the time he gets to spend with Keith and Krolia and Kosmo, but being alone with Keith in such a small space is a rarity. They haven’t really had much time to talk, and late-night conversations when they’re both tired and disoriented from nightmares don’t exactly make the cut.

“Lead the way,” Shiro grins, interlacing his fingers with Keith’s.

Keith leads them through the thicket of trees and down a random path that opens up to a small, bubbling creek with a wide open field just on the other side. Several rock formations tower overhead and Keith decides that’s the perfect place to sit. He helps Shiro climb up and situates himself beside him, comfortably fitting himself against Shiro’s side as his feet dangle over the edge.

The air is crisp and cool. A feather-light breeze tousles their hair and pinks their cheeks. Whispers between the leaves and the rustic hues of submerged pebbles fill the air. Keith presses further into Shiro’s side, resting his head on Shiro’s shoulder, and Shiro’s hand immediately finds Keith’s again. Shiro closes his eyes for a moment and just concentrates on the sounds around him and the weight of Keith’s hand in his.

“This is nice,” Keith says after a time. “We don’t ever get to have time like this at home.”

“Yeah,” Shiro agrees, leaning his head against Keith’s.

Keith sighs and brushes his thumb along the back of Shiro’s hand. “You know,” he murmurs, “I never thought we’d get to do this again.”

“We were always so caught up with the war and the coalition. There was never any time.” Shiro opens his eyes and looks out into the open field. “But now, we have all the time in the world.”

“Yeah, I guess we do,” Keith hums quietly.

They lapse into a comfortable silence again, admiring each other’s warmth, enjoying each other’s quiet company. Shiro focuses on the thumb that glides along the back of his hand and Keith’s steady breathing before he hears it again.

_“I love you.”_

His face falls as he thinks back on the events that led up to Keith’s heartfelt confession, a desperate plea and last attempt to break Shiro from the chains Haggar had put on him. It was a confession Keith needed him to hear before he died. He can still hear the break in Keith’s voice as he utters that phrase, the searing of skin as the plasma blade from his Galra-tech arm comes into contact with Keith’s face. He can still see the scar formation and the broken look in Keith’s eyes that follows shortly after the Galra-tech is cut off. It’s all still there, clear as day, and every time that image of Keith desperate and in pain crosses his memories, he feels a bit more guilty.

“Hey, Keith?” he stammers.

Keith shifts slightly. “Yeah?”

“Do you— Do you remember?” Shiro quavers. “What you said at the facility, do you remember?”

Keith tenses up beside him. “Yeah,” he sighs. “I was just…so afraid of losing you back then and figured that if I had to die by your hand trying to save you, you had to know. You had to know how I really felt.”

“Never for a moment had I ever dreamed of hearing those words from you,” Shiro admits. “Even more, I never expected them to be for me.”

“Why wouldn’t they be?” Keith asks, turning his head to look up at Shiro. “When I was at my worst, deemed broken and unfixable, you refused to give up on me and continued to vouch for me, even when I didn’t deserve it. You gave me a reason to trust myself again. No one’s ever done that for me, Takashi. You have saved me from myself countless times. How can I not love you?”

“But, after everything that I’ve done to you—”

“That wasn’t you,” Keith whispers. “You were definitely in there, but that wasn’t you. Don’t ever think for a moment that I could blame you for anything.”

“But I _hurt_ you,” Shiro chokes. He can feel the sting of tears gather behind his eyes and the heavy knot that forms in his throat.

“ _Don’t_ ,” Keith whispers, lifting his free hand to Shiro’s face. He rests his palm against Shiro’s cheek, and Shiro immediately leans into the touch. He turns Shiro’s head slightly and forces him to meet his gaze. “Don’t ever blame yourself for this. It wasn’t and still isn’t your fault. I’m okay. I’m here. There’s nothing to be sorry for, and there’s nothing to forgive.”

“God, Keith.” The dam breaks. Fresh tears spill over Shiro’s cheeks faster than he can will them away and his bottom lip quivers slightly. Keith wipes the tears away with his thumb and leans forward, pressing his lips to the corner of Shiro’s mouth.

“I love you, Takashi. Don’t ever doubt that.” Keith kisses him again, this time fully. “I love you. I love you. I love you, Takashi.”

Shiro laughs quietly as he moves to return Keith’s kiss. “I love you, too.”

“It’s good to have you back,” Keith whispers, brushing his fingers through Shiro’s hair.

“It’s good to be back.”


End file.
